December 6, 2024
Middle Road Elementary School, Prince George County Public Schools' newest educational campus, was recognized by the Virginia School Boards Association with a People's Choice Award during the organization's Exhibition of School Architecture showcase at its annual conference in November.
The VSBA Exhibition of School Architecture program, sponsored by First Citizens Bank, aims to raise awareness among board members about the symbiotic relationship between thoughtful engineering and design and effective teaching and learning. The Exhibition is part of the organization's annual convention, hosted this year in Hampton Roads on November 20-22, 2024.
Opening for its first day of classes on February 21, 2023, Middle Road Elementary School features a student capacity of 850 across the two-story, 98,000 square feet facility. This school will be able to support current and future students' educational needs as Prince George County continues to grow. The new campus, designed in close collaboration with Moseley Architects, features industry-standard safety and security measures to protect students and staff, adequate separation of public and private spaces, and use of natural light to illuminate parts of the school, helping to reduce energy consumption.
Middle Road Elementary School was also built with the learning principles of today in mind, where student collaboration and engagement are highlighted. Additionally, the campus will have built-in flexibility to adjust learning spaces to best support students' needs.
Since the building's community open house in February 2023, Middle Road Elementary School has hosted several community events, including the Prince George Local Emergency Planning Committee's "Survivor Day" public safety event and the VSBA's regional networking forum and art showcase, among other events.
Middle Road Elementary School replaced William A. Walton Elementary School, a campus-style facility that had served as an elementary school in Prince George County for over 50 years.
"I join the Prince George County School Board and the entire Prince George County community in being incredibly proud of this recognition from the Virginia School Boards Association, celebrating our newest elementary campus, Middle Road Elementary School, with this honor," said Prince George County School Board Chair Jill Andrews. "In the days leading up to the opening of Middle Road Elementary School in 2023, we hosted an open house because our schools are genuinely community facilities. Throughout the development of the district's newest campus, we worked alongside our developer, Moseley Architects, to create a modern campus that supports the needs of our students today and for decades to come while being thoughtful of sustainability and energy efficiency in its design. We appreciate Moseley Architects and the supporting team of engineers and contractors who have given Prince George County Public Schools a facility that continues to allow our students to thrive and excel. Thank you to the VSBA for recognizing our community's newest campus."
"In collaboration with Prince George County Public Schools, Moseley Architects is thrilled that Middle Road Elementary Schools was selected for the People's Choice Award at this year's VSBA Annual Convention," stated Stephen Halsey, Vice President, K-12 Sector Leader, Moseley Architects. "This project was largely designed and constructed during the pandemic and is a testament to the partnership between our firm and PGCPS and the resilience of students, teachers, and the community. We cannot wait to see the great things that emerge from the modern instructional environment provided in the new Middle Road Elementary School."
The Annual Convention brought together over 900 school board members, superintendents, division administrators, education officials, and others across Virginia. Attendees were presented with 14 design projects and had the opportunity to vote for their favorite among them.
To see more photos from the February 2023 opening of Middle Road Elementary School, visit the division's Flickr channel. To learn more about the Virginia School Boards Association, visit their website at http://vsba.org.